Dozens of volunteers help in the search of a missing Tulsa woman

The Central U.S. Missing Persons Task Force heads a grid-style search for Samantha Puckett in north Tulsa (KTUL).

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) —

A hopeful mother is working every possible lead to find her daughter.

Cherie Puckett said her daughter, Samantha, went missing six months ago. Saturday, more than 40 volunteers participated in a grid-style search to find clues towards Samantha.

The group searched through a stretch of land densely covered in shrubs and debris. Puckett said the area was the only Crime Stoppers tip she has received in the six months her daughter has been missing.

“It’s a needle in a haystack so we needed some help looking through the haystack,” said Puckett.

Puckett said her daughter was in a physically abusive relationship with her boyfriend before she went missing.

“He would burn her clothes, or put them in creeks—these were the very places that he would throw her stuff,” said Puckett, referring to the stretch of land crews were searching through.

The grid-style search was led by the Central U.S. Missing Persons Task Force. Puckett said she didn’t know most of the volunteers that showed up.

“Didn’t even know Sam, but have heard her story, feel strongly about violence and abuse, and this is their way of giving back to us,” said Puckett.

“It’s nice for people to know that people have their back, you know? You don’t have to know all of these people but they’re still here, you know? They still care,” said volunteer Ruby Taylor, who mentioned she didn’t know Puckett or her daughter.

Puckett said Samantha’s boyfriend killed himself shortly after she was reported missing—leaving them with no answers to the extent of his abuse.

“The whereabouts of what he did with her body still remains the mystery,” said Puckett.

It’s a mystery the mother hopes to solve during a holiday when her daughter loved her most.

“She’s been gone for six months. So the fact that he’s gone is not the question—it’s giving family closure and peace. And that would be absolutely a wonderful mother’s day.”

There were a couple clues found that were marked with flags. Leaders of the task force said they will go back to take a closer look.